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Stuart
was born in 1942, educated in Aberdeenshire and lives
in
Hampshire with his wife Linda who gives inspiration and is his strongest
critic. Starting in 1968 he became a proficient hobby turner and after his
retirement as a Police inspector in 1989, he went on to win several National
awards for turning before starting to write both at home and abroad.
He has built up an international reputation and is highly regarded by his peers and collectors alike, much admired for his variety of work, fresh ideas and spiral work, which he has taken to new levels. He is a writer, teacher, demonstrator, and consultant to turners and turning groups throughout the U.K., Europe, Scandinavia the U.S.A. and Australia.
Stuart is also the holder of the World Record for the largest bowl turned in 1997 in the USA authenticated and certified by the Guinness Book of Records. For his contribution to turning, he was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Turners, He is on the Company's Register of Professional Turners, and is a member of the Society of Ornamental Turners.
Work definition
Stuart's work is hand-crafted on and off a lathe using hand-held electrical
powered tools as well as traditional carving tools. He started spiral work
in
the
early 1980's to decorate a wide range of work from twisted miniature
goblets, candle sticks, bowls, boxes, hollow forms, artistic and other
decorative works.
Major works are often topped off and easily identified by a twisted finial that has become a distinctive feature or trade-mark, He uses other decorating techniques including burning, carving (sculptural work), ebonising. and piercing. Stuart is keen to push himself into fresh areas of turning and has a reputation for introducing new designs and ideas. Every piece of his work is hand crafted with meticulous care and finished to the highest degree for tactile and visual pleasure.
Stuart has an affinity with trees and their product and is continually on the look out for the unusual piece of material, in fact he admits to having scouts out there looking for him.
In a recent development of his work, Stuart is now adding silver and gold to his work with considerable success. The twisted finials, beads and other forms of decoration is being hand cut from solid silver.
Stuart talking about his work and inspirations
"I
love wood and I am always on the look out for the unusual piece, exotic
or
home grown, the hunt is part of the fun, I examine each piece very
carefully before using it. Identifying or bringing out hidden features that
will
enhance the final piece is a joy. Destroying a hidden feature during
preparation or turning can be disappointing and unforgivable,
I am also constantly looking for very plain freshly cut wet wood that has no features or blemishes whatsoever. This type of material is very predictable and allows me to produce flawless and stable lightweight turnings.
I like simple flowing artistic shapes, but in spite of this I also enjoy the extra challenge of constructing works from several turnings. Retaining flow and design with constructed work is more technically challenging. This gives my work more versatility and myself a wider licence to explore new ideas and techniques. My wife is my strongest critic, her feelings as well as my own to a particular piece is normally a good barometer as to how it will be received by others.
The conception of new ideas, design and techniques quite often develop from disappointment Attaining perfection in wood is elusive but I continually strive for this goal, 1 enjoy each attempt at the impossible."
Website: www.stuartmortimer.com
Email: stuart@stuartmortimer.com
Address:
Hope Cottage
Grateley
Andover
Hants SP11 8JT
Telephone & Fax: 01264 889 016
Galleries and Exhibitions
Stuart Mortimer's work is keenly collected by private individuals. For English Heritage he has reproduced delicate turnings for restoration projects in historic buildings. His work is exhibited at major woodworking shows, exhibitions, seminars and galleries in the USA, Australia, and throughout Europe, e.g. the U.K., Ireland, Norway and Finland.
United Kingdom
Syllavethy Gallery, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Aboyne Gallery, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
United States
Northwest Fine Woodworking Gallery, Seattle.
Bohlen Collection, Detroit Institute of Art (2000)
Mobile Museum of Art, Alabama
Sybaris Gallery, Michigan
Del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles.
Wave Gallery, Yale
Cervini Hass Gallery (Gallery Materia), Scotsdale Arizona
Douglas Baker Gallery, Minneaopolis
Museum of Arts & Design, New York.
Publications
Stuart Mortimer Techniques of Spiral Work published 1995.
Tony Boase Bowl Turning Techniques Masterclass Pages 94 to 103
A.W.G.B. Wonders in Wood page 79.
G.M.C. Woodturning Projects cover and pages 33 to 36.
The Bohlen Collection.D.I.A. Fine Art of Wood page 100 to 101
The Bohlen Collection Nature Transformed pages 19, 36 and 152,
Beneath The Bark, the Twenty-five years of Woodturning,
Utah
Woodturning Symposium, Authors Kip W, Christensen and Dale Nish.
Page 92.
Wet Turning with a Difference '(video)